The Dinner Guest---A Blue Bloods Story
by mom2jlg
Summary: Jamie brings Anna to Sunday dinner for the first time. **In the time line of their relationship, this fits in shortly after "A Word For That". I had started it, but wasn't happy with the way it turned out so I did a bit of 'tweaking'.**


Dinner Guest

**Jamie brings Anna to Sunday dinner for the first time. Will she get along with his family?**

Erin and Nikki set the table as usual.

"We need to set an extra place…your Uncle Jamie's bringing someone to dinner." Erin told her daughter.

"Who?"

Naturally, Nikki was curious.

Erin shrugged.

"He wasn't too clear…just that he was bringing a guest and we all better be on our good behavior…"

"Try telling that to Uncle Danny."

Dinner was almost ready to go in the table when Jamie finally walked in.

He took Anna by the hand and led her into the dining room.

He took a deep breath.

"Everybody…I'd like you to meet Annamarie Rossi."

Everyone looked up…Linda came in from the kitchen with the roast…and Erin followed her with a platter of twice baked potatoes.

Jamie made the rest of the introductions.

"Anna, this is my dad…"

Frank stood and extended his hand to the young woman by his son's side.

"Commissioner…It's a pleasure, Sir." Anna said.

"Call me Frank, please…" he said with a sincere smile. "And welcome."

Jamie directed her attention to the other end of the table.

"And this is my grandfather…"

Henry stood and extended his hand as well.

"Henry Reagan…" he introduced himself.

"Pleased to meet you, Sir." Anna responded.

"No need to be so formal…just Henry's fine."

Anna smiled.

But Jamie wasn't done.

"And this is my brother, Danny…my sister-in-law, Linda…my sister, Erin…"

One by one they all shook Anna's hand.

"My niece, Nikki…" Jamie continued. "And my nephews, Sean and Jack."

Nikki stood to greet Uncle Jamie's friend…

"Hi…" Sean and Jack said.

"There'll be a quiz later…" Danny said as he sat down.

Jamie pulled out a chair for Anna and then took a seat beside her.

Once everyone was settled…

"Jamie?" Frank asked. "Say Grace?"

Everyone made the Sign of the Cross.

"Bless us, Oh Lord, with these gifts we are about to receive, from your bountiful hands, through Christ, our Lord…"

"Amen." Everyone said in unison.

They began to pass the serving dishes…

Jamie squeezed Anna's hand under the table. He knew the interrogation was about to begin.

And not surprisingly, Erin asked the first question.

"So Anna…what do you do?"

Anna smiled.

Jamie had described each of his family members in detail to her…so she had a pretty good idea of what she was in for.

"I teach kindergarten…at St. Paul of the Cross."

"And how did you two meet?" Linda asked next.

Jamie answered for the both of them.

"Sergeant Renzulli introduced us…he's Anna's godfather."

"Jamie and Uncle Tony came to talk to my class about safety." Anna added.

They had cleared the first hurdle.

Dinner at the Reagans wouldn't be dinner at the Reagans unless Erin and Danny got into an argument. And today was no different.

Henry asked Danny about a collar he had made…a janitor in a day care center was cooking crystal meth in the basement…with the kids right upstairs.

"Oh…don't worry…we got him, Grandpa."

"There ought to be a special place in Hell for guys like that…" Linda muttered.

"Is the guy still claiming he was set up?" Henry asked.

"Yeah, of course…he's a regular choir boy." Danny sounded bored.

These guys all sang the same tune…no pun intended.

"Well, the media circus this is turning into's gonna make it very hard to try this case anywhere in the city. Every TV station in town's plastered this guy's face across the screen at least a hundred times." Erin cut in.

"I read in the paper that he's gotten so many death threats that they had to put him in protective custody…" Nikki said.

"With what he was doing around those kids…I'm not surprised." Linda put in.

"Well, people are funny that way…" Danny said. "Especially when there's little kids involved."

"Did he do it, Dad?" Jack asked.

"Of course he did…" Henry said. "They found him right there in his lab."

"The paramedics found him over come from the fumes…" Erin said.

"And he _claims_ he smelled something and went to investigate…" Frank added.

"How convenient…" Jamie said sarcastically.

All the time he'd been spending with Anna…and all the time at the school…kind of gave him a different perspective than he'd ever had. Not that he wouldn't have been disgusted before…but the way Anna's kids looked at him when he came by…like he was Superman or something…it just made it all the more poignant.

Erin turned on him.

"Whatever happened to 'innocent until proven guilty'?" she asked. "Or were you absent on the first day of law school?"

"C'mon Erin!" Danny interjected. "You got a mountain of evidence this high…"

He held his hand about two feet above the table.

"We practically gift wrapped this one for you…"

Erin set her fork down.

"I've got a mountain of mostly_ circumstantial_ evidence. A good defense attorney will blow it out of the water."

"Well, thank God we've got a first rate ADA…" Frank interjected, trying to defuse the situation.

"And what're the odds this scumbag's gonna be able to afford more than some kid fresh outta law school from Legal Aid?" Danny said with a smirk. "Love ya, Sis…"

"I'm just saying…I'd like to have some evidence I can actually _use_. Not something even a newbie from Legal Aid will know enough to challenge…and probably win."

"We'll get it…" Danny snapped. "The crime lab's working overtime trying to wade through the sh…_boatload_ of evidence we gave 'em!"

Brother and sister glared at each other.

Jamie whispered to Anna…

"This happens every time…"

She smiled at him…and he felt his heart skip a beat.

"Don't worry about me…" she whispered back.

"What do you think about all this, Anna?" Henry asked.

"Well…I've been following the story…" she answered. "I read the editorial Nikki was mentioning."

Nikki looked pleased.

"And?" Danny prompted.

Alyssa shrugged.

"That day care center was in the same neighborhood where I teach…about seven or eight blocks from St. Paul…it's hard to be objective when something's happening in your own back yard."

"Is it true, Dad?" Sean interrupted. "About the guy getting death threats?"

"Yeah…it is…" Danny told his son.

"Wouldn't it just be a crying shame if some paperwork got misplaced and he ended up in general population?" Anna remarked softly…

Everyone looked up, silent.

Sean and Jack both looked nervously back and forth between Anna, their dad, and their Aunt Erin.

Danny burst out laughing.

"I like this one…" he told his brother.


End file.
